Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground beef

1/4 pound ground pork

1 cup torn french bread

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped white onions

3/4 cup chopped carrots

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups shredded kale or spinach

Directions:

For the meatballs, put beef, pork, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, nutmeg, and paprika into a large bowl and use your hands to mix well. Place bread and milk in a small bowl. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Add to the meat mixture. Using a small cookie scoop, dip out meatballs and transfer them to a large plate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the soup, melt olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until translucent. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and 2 cups water. Cover and bring soup to a boil.

Add meatballs and orzo to the boiling soup and stir. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes over medium heat. Stir in greens. Allow greens to wilt slightly. Serve immediately.